Everyone hates “Congress.” But who are you really mad at?
Politics tamfitronics Quick. Think about the state of American politics. We’re polarized — it’s almost cliché to point it out.But why are we polarized? While there are plenty of reasons (some have even written whole books explaining them), our politicians and elected officials play a key part. It’s a political science phenomenon called “elite polarization,” in which the divides among elected officials spread to their voters, and the public sorts itself into ideological and partisan tribes that mirror what is being signaled from above. That downward messaging then increases what political theorists call “affective polarization,” a measure of the level of antipathy people have for members of the opposite political party.But not all elected officials are polarizing Americans — or at least, not all of them are doing it equally, according to new research...
